WILLASTON hosted Gawler Central in Saturday’s only Barossa & Light Cricket Association A1-reserves fixture on the weekend as many venues opted against playing through trying conditions.
Winning the toss and batting first on their home deck, the Donnybrooks had trouble providing captain Dylan McIver with a running-mate as five of the first six batsmen out of the sheds were dismissed for eight or fewer runs.
McIver made 31 from 44 deliveries, before Trent Payne came in at number-seven and steadied the ship on his way to a score of 55 from 56 deliveries, including four maximums among his nine boundaries.
Matt Perry was doing the bulk of the damage for the Tigers, taking 6/33 with four maidens in his 13 overs to dismiss Willaston for 142 with 26 overs of daylight remaining.
Perry then opened the batting and patiently made his way to 25 from 75 deliveries as he and Jack Mercer (11 from 82 deliveries) negotiated the end of the day perfectly, with time called at 0/48.
Gawler Central had less success in A2, bowled out by Kapunda for 69 as the Mickan’s – Lachlan (3/12 with five maidens from 10 overs) and Michael (2/7 with three maidens from seven overs) – dominated the affair.
Kapunda will pick up on day two this Saturday at 1/45, needing a total collapse to make things interesting.
Sandy Creek’s Anthony Lewendon made the most of his game going ahead by knocking a massive 131 not-out from 160 deliveries after being sent in to bat by Nuriootpa.
Lewendon scored 114 runs more than his nearest teammate, with Tiger Rhys Lacey (5/28 with five maidens from 15 overs) seeming to have the number of the rest of the line-up.
The Cockatoos finished on 8/205 in their rain-shortened 58-over innings, leaving everything to play for on day two.
In A3, Mallala was bowled out for 147 at Angaston as Jack Gaston took 5/14 with five maidens in his 11 overs of work, William Cameron took 3/12 with four maidens in nine overs, and two batsmen were run out in a messy innings from the visitors.
Angaston will pick up day two at 0/9 after its openers safely negotiated five overs before stumps.
In A4, Willaston players were obviously keen to get out of the weather as they removed Morgan for just 32 runs in the 40-over fixture, with Brody Martin (4/6 with two maidens from four overs), Josh Carter (4/7 in 2.4 overs) and Kieran Roche (2/3 in three overs) dominated from start-to-finish.
Willaston chased down the target in less than six overs to win by ten wickets.
In A5, South Gawler went down by two wickets against Light Pass in a Sunday fixture after winning the toss and scoring 8/139 in its 40 overs, led by opener Kobe Barker with 33 runs.
Barker then took three quick wickets to shoot Lighties’ chase in the foot, but Brett Nitschke came in to steady the ship with a tough 90 from 92 deliveries.
Barker (4/21 from eight overs) eventually removed Nitschke with a caught-and-bowled, but the damage had been done, with the tail able to guide Light Pass home with 10 balls remaining in the match.